Improvement in grease-condensers for purifying exhaust steam



S. N. HART'WELL. GREASE coNEEEsEE EoE PURIFYING EXHAUST STEAM.

No. 177,713. Patented. May 23,1876.

A i A 6' H i ii WITNESSES "WE TUB momma mmml. mmwummmn. WASHINGTON, D4C.

UNITED STATES P TENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL N. HARTWELL, OF WOLLASTON HEIGHTS, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT l-N GREASECONDENSERS FOR PURIFYING EXHAUST STEAM.

Specificati'on forming part of Letters Patent No. 177,713, dated May 23,1876; application filed February 21,1876.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL N. HARTWELL, ofWollaston Heights, in thecounty of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new andImproved Grease-60nd en ser for Purifying Exhaust Steam, of which thefollowing is a specificationr In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1represents a top view, and Fig. 2 a vertical longitudinal section on theline-c c, Fig. 1 of my improved grease-condenser for purifying exhauststeam.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts. I

My invention relates to a grease-condenser for purifying exhaust steamby which the dangerous and annoying deposits formed by the return of thegrease or oil with the feedwater, heated up by the exhaust steam, areprevented, and the exhaust steam be made available for other purposes.

' able filtering material, to be mechanically purifled by the impact ofthe oil globules with the fluid or filtering material.

In the drawing, A represents a box or re ceptacle, of suitable size andmaterial, that is provided with top entrance and exit tubes B for theexhaust steam of the engine. The condensing-chamber formed in box A isfilled with a quantity of water or other fluid through a pipe, at, atone end, and drawn'ofl' by an overflow-pipe, b, at the opposite end, ata level below that of pipe at.

The exhaust steam, charged with oil or grease, is so directed on thefluid as to cause the minute. globules of grease or oil, by reason oftheir greater density, and consequent momentum, to penetrate the fluidto some extent, and be arrested andcondensed by the same, while thesteam moves toward the outlet-pipe and imparts to the floating greasecollecting at the surface of the fluid a motion in the direction of theoverflow-pipe b, when the oil. is drawn off.

The overflow-pipe is located at such height thatv a retarded motion ofthe steam is obtained, and thereby time given to any particles of greasethat have escaped at the first impact with the fluid to settle upon thesurface of the same.

Whenever the exhaust steam enters the grease-condensing chamber at arapid rate, as it does from a locomotive-cylinder, or where a low gradeof expansion is used, the water or other condensing-fluid is agitated insuch a manner that the retention of the grease would not be fullyobtained. In such cases the steam is first passed through a fibrous orporous body of any filtering material-as wool, flax,cotton fibers,sticks, sponge, powdered charcoal, sand, &c.which is placedbelow theentrance-tube B, and retained by'a partition, 0, placed transverselyacross box A. The partition 0 has a narrow opening at the bottom of thebox, and a wider one above the same, forming a compartment for thefiltering substance, upon which the entering steam dashes, driving theoil or grease through the substance and out at the narrow bottomopening, whence it rises to the surface of the fluid, and is impelled bythe current of steam toward the overflow-opening b.

The bottom of the filtering-compartment is made curved or inclinedtoward the narrow exit-opening of the partition, to facilitate the flowof the grease in the right direction.

The oil or grease is thus condensed and retained, and the purifiedexhaust steam made available in a higher degree for heating up.

feed-water, andother purposes, without being objectionable on account ofthe oil or grease carried along.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to ent-' 1. A grease condenser for purifying exhaust steam, in order that itmay be used for boiling, dyeing, or heating feed-water, consisting of awater-chamber, having a top inlet for steam near one end, and an outletnear secure byLetters Patthe other end for the egress of steam, as

shown and described, whereby the steam may be impinged upon the water,relieved of its grease, and passed ofl' in a purified state to somesuitable receptacle.

2. A grease-condensing chamber, having inlet aud utlet. tubes B B andalateral .partiward the slot, as and for the purposespocition withbottom slot to form a filtering and fied.

fluid chamber as shown and described. .7 l

3. In a. condensi ng-ehamber, having inlet S P EIIARTWELL" and outlettubes B B and separated by a bot- Witnesses:

tom-slotted partition,,a bottom t0-the filter PAUL GOEPEL, ing-chambermade on a curve 01' incline to- T. B. MOSHER.

